


And when you smile (the whole world stops and stares for a while)

by awakeanddreaming



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: AU, F/M, Tessa with a baby, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:28:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22025578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awakeanddreaming/pseuds/awakeanddreaming
Summary: It’s her radiant smile he really notices and the fact that her baby has got to be the cutest baby he’s ever seen — and he has a slew of nieces and nephews who are all pretty damn cute. The baby is bundled tightly in red one piece snowsuit, dotted with white maple leafs, arms and legs starfished due to the bulk of the suit. There’s just a little head poking out of the suit, a head of curly white blonde hair and the most piercing ice blue eyes, so wide and alert, staring at him.
Relationships: Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue
Comments: 71
Kudos: 200





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is just a little story that’s been stuck in my head wanting to come out since just before Christmas due to an encounter with the absolute cutest little man on a sleigh ride. 
> 
> There will be (hopefully) four little chapters here. 
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and will enjoy a little fluff.

She’s really beautiful. It’s the first thing he notices about her. The way her long wavy chestnut brown hair cascades over her shoulder, from under her knit toque, and her delicate features, cheeks and nose pinked from the cool air. Then there’s the genuine, pleasant smile she flashes every person who looks her way, and those eyes, her eyes are such a striking green and he feels like they pierce right into his soul when she glances his way. 

It’s her radiant smile he really notices and the fact that her baby has got to be the cutest baby he’s ever seen — and he has a slew of nieces and nephews who are all pretty damn cute. The baby is bundled tightly in red one piece snowsuit, dotted with white maple leafs, arms and legs starfished due to the bulk of the suit. There’s just a little head poking out of the suit, a head of curly white blonde hair and the most piercing ice blue eyes, so wide and alert, staring at him. 

He reaches out a hand to steady the young woman — she looks young at least, somewhere in her mid twenties maybe — as she climbs up the step stool into the wagon, with the baby bundled tightly in her arms. She can’t hold the rail so he places a steady hand on her elbow until she’s safely aboard. She flashes him a smile and he’s nearly bowled over by the radiance of it. She looks like someone who smiles a lot and he thinks everyone who is the recipient of that bright grin is lucky. The baby smiles at him then, too. 

“Say thank you to the nice man, Jasper,” she says in a soft voice to the baby, nuzzling into his tiny pink cheek. 

“Scott,” Scott offers, with his own smile as she climbs over a hay bail to find a seat. 

“Tess,” she smiles and he can’t help but notice the pink that rises in her cheeks, but maybe it’s from the cold. “And this little man is Jasper.”

“Well, it’s so very nice to meet you, Tess and Jasper,” he smiles again as she settles herself close to the front of the wagon, near him. He gestures to the two black Canadian horses at the front of the wagon, owned by his uncle. “This is Jade and Jasmine and they will be our guides around town tonight.” 

The winter carnival is at the fairgrounds, a makeshift winter market set up with bear claws, a mobile Tim Hortons with free coffee and hot chocolate and various other winter activities. The proceeds of the event going to a few local charities. But the horse drawn sleigh rides that Scott is volunteering at, manning one of three wagons, is a 30 minute ride through several streets in town that all go all out for Christmas; allowing families to have a unique way of seeing the lights. The tickets are on the pricier side for a family event like this, at $10 a person, but the profits are all going to charity. Scott and his family are donating their time to run the rides and the wagons they maintain for rides on the farm in the fall so the only costs are feeding and transporting the horses from his uncle's farm. Every year they usually end with a few thousand dollars of proceeds. 

Scott helps a few more passengers board while the woman, Tess, settles in with her little boy Jasper on her lap. He’s facing toward the middle of the wagon looking wide-eyed and a little curious at all the new faces climbing up to sit around him. Tess bounces him on her knees, murmuring to him softly about all the smiling new faces, trying to prevent him from getting overwhelmed when an older women and a teenage girl approach the wagon behind the woman. The woman is about his mom’s age, in fact he thinks her name may be Sandy as he recognizes her as a woman who volunteers with his mom, she’s a larger woman, with greying hair, wire framed glasses and a kind smile — looking at her you just know she has the best hugs. The girl is maybe sixteen, her coat is too large and hanging open and her long blond hair hangs around her face falling nearly to her waist, with the bluest eyes he’s ever seen, flitting nervously about the grounds. 

“Tess,” the young girl says, and Tess’s head whips around in surprise, but he watches her face relax into a smile almost instantly. 

“Hey Crystal, Sandy, what’s up?” 

“We have about ten extra tickets left,” Sandy says with a shrug. “We weren’t sure what you wanted us to do with them.” 

Tess looks thoughtful for a minute, she looks to Scott with her bright smile and then around the grounds nearby and at the only half full wagon. “How long until you have to get this thing moving, Scott?” she asks him. 

“Oh,” he looks to his watch, a little surprised she’s addressed him. “To keep on schedule for the other time slots I have to get this convoy moving in about eight minutes.” 

She nods then leans her head over the side of the wagon towards Sandy and Crystal. “Give them away,” she says. “I’ve paid for them all already and they’re only good for this time slot. Just go up to some families and ask if they want to go for a sleigh ride I’m sure you’ll find some takers.” 

Sandy nods and begins to walk away, but the young girl hangs around, reaching up to get Jasper’s attention. She smiles at the infant, with this all consuming grin and wiggles her fingers at him when he turns to look at her. 

“Are you going to ride with us, Crystal?” Tess asks the young girl.

She shakes her head. “Is it okay if I stay here?” her voice sounds so quiet and unsure. “I don’t really like these rides, but I think little man will love it.” 

“I’m sure he will,” Tess nods and smiles, her tone so gentle and reassuring. “Just stay with Sandy after you give out the tickets.” 

“Can I get a hot chocolate?” the girl asks. 

Tess nods again, clear affection in her smile. He wonders if this is a little siblings of hers. “Just one. Save some of those tickets for the rest of the gang when they get back from the sleigh ride.” 

“Bye Jaspy,” Crystal says and then heads over toward Sandy at one of the large fires where parents and their kids are congregating and staying warm with hot chocolates and coffees.

Tessa waves Jasper’s little hand at the girl’s retreating form before turning back towards Scott. 

“Do you mind waiting just a few extra minutes?” Tess asks him. “Just for them to find some families who want to ride?” 

He nods. “I can probably wait for ten before we really have to get moving,” he smiles. “That’s really generous of you,” he says. “Giving away those tickets.” 

She shrugs. “I got the tickets for the organization I work for and we had a couple groups who couldn’t make it tonight. Might as well put them to good use.” She smiles at him again, a little sad this time. “Besides I know it’s a big expense for a lot of families, especially with multiple kids, who maybe still want to go.” 

He nods. It had been his argument against the higher priced tickets, but the organizers of the event set the price, not his family who volunteered and provided the horses and wagons. He’s still amazed at her generosity — that’s $100 worth of tickets that she’s just offering to random families she doesn’t know. “I’m sure that they will really appreciate it.” 

She nods in thanks, but turns her attention quickly back to her baby who has started to fuss a bit now, attempting to use his mouth to free his hands from his little white mittens. 

Tess tucks his hands back inside his mittens. “I’m so sorry little man,” she says kissing his hands inside the mitts. “I know you hate them, but I don’t want these precious little fingers to freeze.” She turns him around to face her and begins bouncing her legs again until he hears a little giggle emanating from the baby boy. 

Scott can’t bring himself to look away, the scene before him so tender it tugs at his heart. This stranger and her little boy and their bright smiles churn something inside him. It’s a kind of longing he doesn’t really understand and he continues to watch them have their moment with a wistful smile. That is until his attention is called away when more passengers come to board his wagon. He helps up a small girl and her mom with a baby strapped tightly to her in a carrier, followed by who he assumes to be the grandparents corralling a toddler boy aboard. 

“Are you Tessa?” the mother asks, sitting next to Tess and little Jasper. At Tessa’s nod she continues. “Sandy told us you’re the one to thank. For the tickets. Thank you so very much.” 

He can just make out her blush and downcast eyes, as he makes his way to his own seat, picking up the reins, ready to get moving. “Oh it was nothing really,” she says. “We had the tickets already.” 

“Well, thank you anyways,” the other woman says as she settles the three of her kids in for the ride. “It really made our day, the kids wanted to ride so badly, we did it last year with their dad but he’s away this year and I was told it was sold out.” Tessa smiles at them all, and he can tell how genuinely happy it makes her to have given them this moment. 

The ride is for the most part uneventful as he leads the horses through town, pointing out the Christmas lights and tidbits of history on his town. Until, with about ten minutes left, poor little Jasper just looses it. His cries start out as small whimpers and Tessa tries her best to soothe him. She gives him a pacifier, and pats his little bum through the snowsuit to check for a solid diaper, fixed his mittens on his hands and puts a hat on his head, none of it provides a solution. She hums to him and bouncers her legs some more, but none of it seems to work either. Before long the whimpers have turned into full blown wails and Tessa looks both mortified and overwhelmed as she tries to calm him. 

“Oh little man,” she sighs, running a delicate finger over the bridge of his nose, looking tired. “What’s the matter?” She looks over at everyone around her in apology. 

“It’s okay,” Scott supplies from just in front of her. “He’s little, babies cry. There’s a lot going on,” he shrugs, thinking of his nieces and nephews. “It can be overwhelming, I’m sure.” 

Tessa sighs and scoots herself and Jasper a little closer to Scott, maybe to try and not disturb the rest of the passengers. “Of course,” she says, and he can hear the exhaustion in her voice. “He’s used to lots of new faces all the time, though this is his first big outing, eh little man?” she says over the sounds of Jasper’s wrecked sobs. “I hate not knowing what to do.” 

Scott just nods, not really sure what to say to that. “How old is he?” he asks instead. 

“About four months,” Tessa says, smiling again, before turning her attention back to her baby. “Eh, buddy? You’re getting so big now aren’t you?”

“That is pretty big,” he says, leaning back to smile at them both— the horses know where they’re going. This seems to distract Jasper for a moment as he looks curiously at Scott and stops crying. 

“He’s usually such and easy going baby,” Tessa says, bouncing him on her knees again. “We’ve hardly had any issues with him. Except when he was really little he’d get like this, just inconsolable and we didn’t know what to do, but it’s been awhile since this has happened.” 

Scott can’t help the fact that his heart feels like it’s being squeezed when she says  _ we.  _ Obviously, she has a partner and her beautiful little boy has another parent waiting at home. It isn’t like he was wanting to hit on or pick up a new mom anyways, he isn’t like that. He’d just felt a connection to her the moment she’d first smiled at him. He hates himself for that a little. A woman is allowed to smile at him and be kind without it meaning a damn thing and he knows that and would never expect more. Still he can’t help but feel a slight sense of loss. 

“Well,” he says finally, turning his attention back to the horses, Jasper’s cries now back to pathetic little whimpers as Tessa pulls him in close to her chest. “It seems like your doing a great job.” 

She doesn’t talk much to him after that, her attention entirely on the baby in her arms as he continues to cry, his little face a deep red. Scott feels for the little guy but he focuses on steering them all back to the fairgrounds. Calling out little bits of information on some of the houses with the best lights until they come to a stop.

Tessa and Jasper are the last to leave, waiting until all the other families have gotten off before she juggles Jasper and the large diaper bag backpack she has. “I’m sorry,” she says as he holds her elbow again to help her down. “For all the crying.” 

“It’s really okay,” he says and he means it. Jasper is a baby and she’s clearly feeling overwhelmed. It hadn’t seemed to bother anyone else either, all parents or grandparents who have been there, done that. “Thank you again for your generosity...giving away those tickets for families, it was very kind.” 

She shrugs again but smiles. “Bye Scott, it was nice to meet you.” 

“You too,” he says as she walks away towards a large group of people — several adults and some older kids and young teens gathered around one of the fires. 

And he finds it was nice to meet her. To have been in the presence of such a beautiful person with such a kind soul. He hopes he has a chance to meet her again, even just to say hello and be graced by her smile once more. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years Eve friends! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the next instalment of this little fic and that you all have a safe and happy new year!

She’s at the grocery store with Crystal and Jasper and despite it being mid afternoon on a weekday it’s busier than she really likes a grocery store to be — if it were up to her she’d only shop at nine o’clock at night when all the tills are blissfully empty and it’s just her, her basket of groceries and the self checkout. She assumes that the relative crowd is due to the impending holidays and shakes her head as she pushes the cart further down the aisle, smiling at Jasper in the infant seat on the cart as he babbles away to himself and maybe a bit to her. His little voice high pitch and content. 

He really is such a sweet little baby with a smile and a giggle that could brighten anyone’s day and she’s so very proud of how far both he and Crystal have come. She hasn’t seen them much since the winter fair two weeks ago and the little man is looking bigger already. She tells him as much as she tickles his little belly and he giggles at her. It’s such a beautiful little sound and hearing him laugh and seeing how well he and his mom have been doing the past few weeks make the difficult parts of her job feel worthwhile. She glances around the row for Crystal, who went with her carefully thought out list to pick out diapers. As soon as her attention is off him for even just a second though, Jasper starts to whimper and she rushes to calm him, thinking of the sleigh ride the other week. 

The fair was beyond her usual field of work and though she enjoyed the baby snuggles, she felt awful she wasn’t able to soothe the poor little man. It brought her back to feeling like when she was working on her Master’s and simultaneously working evenings as a Child and Youth Care worker. Her entry level job back then had her much more directly involved in the daily care and outings of the kids than she gets to be now, though with much less responsibility and influence. Though she thinks it was no more or less important than the counselling, therapy and case management she is in charge of now. It isn’t usually part of her job to act as a caregiver. 

However, when the partner organization she works with had an outbreak of gastro pass through both the staff and kids at one of their group homes, she found herself offering to fill a needed gap for supervisors. She’d already bought tickets for the fair and sleigh rides under advisement from the director and would have hated to see the entire trip cancelled. She also just so happened to end up with Jasper in her arms most of the night because he was familiar and comfortable with her. She can’t say she minded much. The beginning of the evening he’d been perfect, and they’d both been so taken by the kind driver of the wagon they rode on. He was kind, with the warmest most inviting smile.

Today, she’s helping Crystal navigate budgeting and shopping for herself and Jasper. It’s something that Crystal needs to learn to do on her own but has mentioned gives her anxiety. It’s one of the things they’ve discussed in their meetings a few times since Jasper has been born, even before then. And it is also part of Tessa’s job to make sure Crystal is comfortable and capable of navigating these aspects of parenting. 

Crystal walks back down the aisle with a box of diapers. “I know this isn’t the size box I put on my list,” she says, tucking it under the basket on the bottom of the cart. “But these ones were on sale and because there are more I went with the bigger size. The size ones are starting to get a little snug and since the box is bigger I figured he’d outgrow them before the box was done. Is that okay?” 

“I think that’s a really good idea Crys,” Tessa says, trying to reaffirm the girl’s decision. She’s proud she made the choice on her own and recognized the need to go up a size. “He’s definitely getting bigger quickly!” 

“He is!” Crystal says, coming around the stroller to give her son a kiss on the nose. 

“How did his appointment with the public health nurse go last week?” Tessa already knows the gist of the appointment from checking her files, but she knows it makes Crystal feel important relaying the information to her. Besides, Tess likes hearing the happiness in her voice, the pride, when she talks about her son. 

“It was really good,” she’s smiling as they continue their journey through the store, her wide blue eyes shining under the fluorescent lighting. “He’s still a bit small for his age, but he’s growing on his curve and she said developmentally he’s doing so well.”

“That’s wonderful,” Tessa says as they round a corner. “I’m glad it went well, did you make sure to ask the questions you wanted?” 

The girl nods. “I wrote them down, like you said. So I wouldn’t forget.” 

They turn down the next aisle and Tessa is so busy nodding along and listening to Crystal and the clacking of her own low heels on the tile as they keep a steady pace pushing the shopping cart that she doesn’t notice him at first. Not until Crystal is nudging her side with a growing smirk. 

“The cute guy from the sleigh ride is here,” she says, nodding her head towards the end of the row. 

And sure enough there he is. Scott. She cringes a little internally at the fact that after a thirty minute sleigh ride, while she was meant to be working, two weeks ago, she still remembers his name. And she definitely did find him cute and kind. His smile was so warm and open and she thinks she would have found herself talking with him more had it not been for the fact that she was working. Like she is now, and she definitely isn’t going to let her teenage client know she thinks this guy is cute. 

“Crystal,” she chides, trying to turn to look away from him. “That is not appropriate.”

“Why?” Crystal asks, her question is genuine, there’s an innocence to it and Tessa often forgets the girl is barely sixteen. “He is cute and he’s totally been looking at you. Definitely checked you out,” she turns to the baby in the shopping cart and lowers her voice, changing her pitch and transitioning easily into baby talk. “Eh, Jasp-y. The nice man thinks Tessa is cute and she should talk to him.” 

“Crystal,” Tessa is shaking her head and trying to keep her voice low so as not to direct Scott’s attention towards them. “Stop.”

Crystal shrugs. “Hey, it’s not like I said it looks like he wants to fuck you. Which he totally does and you should.” 

“Language,” she says, sighing. She wants to laugh at the absurdity of this conversation and she really hopes Scott doesn’t hear, that he’s too focused on comparing the labels on two cans of formula, looking extremely confused. She wonders if he has a baby of his own, if that’s why he was so taken with Jasper the last time. He seems like he would be a great dad, which is weird observation to make after two very brief encounters, but her brain goes there nonetheless. “I’m working. And even if I weren’t this is a highly inappropriate conversation for me to have with you.” 

Crystal doesn’t seem to care because before Tessa has even finished getting the words out she’s walking towards Scott and Tessa has no choice but to follow with Jasper and the shopping cart. “Excuse me,” Crystal says as she approaches, startling him a little. “Would you mind reaching the one on the top shelf for us?” 

Scott smiles first at Crystal and then at her with Jasper and she can see the flash of recognition in his eyes and in his easy smile. If she didn’t know any better — they only met for less than an hour — she’d say he seems happy to see her again. His grin lights up his eyes and is soft around the edges. He looks at her, not like he’s checking her out, not exactly, but like you’d look at a piece of art or a beautiful sunset. Like she takes his breath away and it makes her feel very exposed and vulnerable in a way she isn’t used to feeling.

“Oh course,” he says, finally turning his gaze from her and stretching to reach the can of Similac formula Tessa knows Crystal has a coupon for in her purse. Once he’s gotten the can down he hands it to Crystal, but aims his smile at Tessa and she thinks she might actually blush. She has to work to maintain a manner of professionalism.

“Thanks,” both Crystal and Tessa say at the same time. 

“Actually,” he starts again, once Crystal puts the formula in their cart. “Could you help me out? My sister-in-law just got a nasty infection and can’t breastfeed because of the antibiotics. My brother sent me here to pick up formula for their little guy. But I have no idea what I’m looking for.” 

Tessa smiles softly at him, feeling oddly relieved and a little endeared that the formula he is buying is for his nephew. She thinks he must be a very generous brother, someone usually willing to help out family whenever asked. She isn’t sure she’d ever think to call her brother’s for a favour like this, no matter how much she loves them. Yet, this man has been sent to the store for formula for his sick sister-in-law and went. He doesn’t appear to be put out at all by the task, just genuinely concerned whether or not he’s picking the best kind. Can won’t lie and say that doesn’t make her heart flutter just a bit.

“How old is her little one?” Tessa asks. “Do they have bottles if she’s been breastfeeding?” 

“He was born in September,” Scott says, then bites his lip in thought, eyebrows furrowing before he frowns. “I don’t know. I don’t think this one has used bottles as far as I know. But they may still have some from their older kids.” 

“You could try the ready to feed formula? They come premade in their own bottles. If the bottles they have are old the nipples might not be great to use anymore,” she shrugs. She isn’t an expert by any means but she’s been working in social services long enough, and has had enough experience in this to know at least some useful things. “But the ready mades are far pricier and usually used for the really little ones. So I’d only recommend it as a temporary thing. Otherwise I’d say either of what you have is fine. We tend to use the Similac.” 

Scott grabs one of each, a small pack of ready to feeds and the same tub of gentle formula he’d handed Crystal. “Thanks,” he’s still smiling at her. “I think I’ll give them the options.” 

“Tessa is the best,” Crystal says from next to her, wrapping an arm around Tessa’s waist. It startles Tessa a bit, throws her off balance. All the months she’s been working closely with Crystal she’s never been one for physical affection, not with anyone other than her son. “She’s been helping me figure out how to shop too.”

Scott raises an eyebrow in question at that, looking curiously between Tessa, Crystal and the shopping cart with the baby items and Jasper. Tessa just shrugs. She’s working and it’s not like she’s at liberty to discuss with him the nature of her shopping trip with Crystal, not really. There are ethics and confidentiality rules, even if Crystal is comfortable chatting.

He doesn’t question her though, and she’s grateful for that, just smiles again and says, “Well you’re clearly very helpful, Tess. And I am very grateful to have run into you again.” 

She can’t help but continuing to smile back and if Jasper didn’t start to babble next to her she may have forgotten where she was and what she was meant to be doing for a moment. Lost in the warmth of eyes. 

“Hey buddy,” Scott says, turning his attention the baby who seems to be attempting to put his tiny foot into his mouth. “You’re much happier than the last time I saw you.”

“Oh definitely,” Tessa says. “But we probably ought to get this show on the road and finish our shopping before that changes,” she says to both Scott and Crystal. She’s working, she reminds herself. And now is not the time to be flirting with cute men in grocery stores. 

“Me too,” he says. “I probably have a very hungry nephew waiting for this,” he lifts up the formula. “Thank you again.” 

“It was no problem,” she says.

He’s walking down the aisle about to turn towards the checkouts when he stops and glances back over his shoulder at them and says, “You wouldn’t happen to know what a good _Get Well Soon_ flower would be, do you?” 

She thinks he has to be the sweetest man she’s ever met, and she’s briefly regretful she’s only had the chance to meet him while working. Maybe one day fate will bring them together again when she can get speak to him freely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to add a disclaimer that though I have tried to be as accurate as I can, I don’t work in social services and Tessa’s job just for the sake of how this story played out vs the kind of position I envision her holding is kind of an amalgamation of a few positions that doesn’t necessarily exist. But this is fic.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to boo and only_because3 for looking this over! 
> 
> Happy new year everyone :)

He sees her for a third time in so many weeks the day before New Years. She’s in line at the coffee shop he walks in to. He’s never been here before, it’s a newer locally owned place he heard about from a colleague and decided to stop in on a whim. He wasn’t planning on coming in at all but felt compelled to for whatever reason as he passed by, so he’s going to consider it fate.

She’s alone this time, or at least appears to be, typing out a message on her phone while she waits. She’s got her hair pulled back in a low bun, wearing a dress with tall boots under her peacoat, she looks dressed for work. It makes him wonder, not for the first time since he’d run into her last week, if his assessment that Jasper is her son was correct. Their encounter at the grocery store was odd, though pleasant all the same, but it made him have some questions. It’s not that he believes women can’t go back to work right away or that he doesn’t know there are various reasons why someone would have to, but there was just something about her that gave him the impression she’d want to spend as much time with her own little one as possible. 

She rubs at her temple as she slips her phone back into her purse and moves up a place in the line. He’s almost taken his place behind her in the line before she glances up and notices him. 

“Oh hi,” she says, looking briefly surprised but her expression quickly relaxes into a smile as he steps closer. “It’s you again.” Her smile is so perfectly genuine and it’s pretty quickly becoming his favourite sight. Her eyes have lit up, the little hanging lights overhead reflecting off greens of her iris and they shine like bits of jade.

He hasn’t forgotten how strikingly beautiful she is, though his memories don’t do her justice. Or maybe it’s the afternoon light pouring in from the big windows in the café making her glow. He’s so infinitely glad he walked into this little café today, at this exact moment.

“It is,” is all he can think to say. He’s pretty sure he’s wearing the dopiest grin but can’t bring himself to care, because she’s standing in front of him smiling oh so sweetly and his heart beats a little bit faster, he thinks.

“I’ve actually been hoping I’d see you again,” she says and he watches the blush as it rises to her cheeks, and her eyes go wide. “I mean… I meant…” she stammers and he decides to save her from something she clearly hasn’t meant to say out loud. Although hearing her admit she’s been wanting to see him again to makes him think that just maybe she’s felt as drawn to him as he has to her. 

“Me too,” he says, clearing his throat. “I mean I hoped I’d get to thank you for the advice the other day, on the formula.” 

Her whole body, which had tensed with anxiety just a moment earlier, relaxes. Her shoulders lower from her ears and she lets out a long exhale. And there’s a look in her eyes as she begins to ask questions. “Oh did it work out? How’s everyone feeling? Did the little one take to the formula?” 

“My sister-in-law is on the mend, so everyone is feeling much much better and my brother has finally relaxed. The little guy wasn’t really a fan of the formula at first, but ended up taking those ready to feed ones you suggested eventually,” he says, stepping a bit closer to her and lowering his voice just a fraction. The whole line doesn’t need to hear their conversation, though he doesn’t mind sharing with her. There is something about this woman that makes him want to share everything with her. Especially when she looks at him so encouragingly as he speaks. Listens intently.

“Oh I’m so glad to hear that,” she seems to really mean it. “It can be tough on the little ones and on the parents too, when something like that happens.” 

He nods. “It was definitely a rough week for them for sure. But they have lots of family in the area and we are all always more than happy to help.” 

“That’s always so good, to have a support system like that,” she’s still smiling, but it looks heavier, a bit more tired than before. “Not everyone has that. It always makes me happy to come across families who are there for each other. Your brother and his wife are lucky to have you around.”

He isn’t sure what to say to that, he wasn’t fishing for a compliment, or trying to impress her. He loves his family and it seems like such a normal thing to him, to be there for them. He feels a bit, he isn’t exactly sure, embarrassed maybe. But that isn’t right either, she spoke with such conviction and such affection that he truly believes she means what she says. Maybe it’s the way she’s looking at him so sweetly, so openly, but also with a kind of intensity like she wants to know everything about him. It has him feeling a bit bashful and at a loss for words, which is very much unlike him. There is something about this woman, he thinks. 

After a moment's pause he takes the chance to ask her what’s been weighing on his mind since he saw her again. “So, where’s your little man?” 

She blinks at him, confused for a second and then her eyebrows draw in in thought. After a second her eyes widen in what he guesses is realization. “Do you mean Jasper?” she asks and when he nods she laughs a little and shakes her head. “He’s… uh… he’s not mine. No.” 

_ Oh.  _ Well then. She doesn’t offer up anymore information and though he’s extremely curious now, he realizes it isn’t really his place to press. She’s a virtual stranger. “Well obviously he’s really comfortable with you. You were so at ease with the little guy,” he says, for lack of anything else. 

“Oh, thank you,” she says blushing again while looking around and realizing they’ve moved up a few places in the line. She steps forward and he follows a pace behind her. She goes to tuck a non existent stray hair behind her ear (her bun is still immaculate so the gesture is clearly out of habit). She appears to be a little nervous as she looks from him down to her feet. He finds it kind of adorable, if he’s honest. “So… uh, do you have any plans for New Years Eve?” she asks, he thinks just to continue making conversation with him. It’s sweet and he’s definitely not in a rush to stop speaking with her.

“Working, actually,” he says, running a hand through his hair. Even though he’s extremely used to working holidays and it doesn’t really bother him much anymore, he can’t help the slight note of disappointment in his tone.

She nods. “I get that,” she says. “I’m relieved to have the next day and a half off. I’m sorry you have to work.” 

He shrugs and smiles at her. “It’s okay, I’m used to it. I’m a paramedic, so New Years Eve is unfortunately a really busy night in my line of work and I’m on nights the next two days.” 

“Oh,” she says, her eyes widening as she looks back up at him. “That’s really… good. Being a paramedic I mean… out there saving lives.” She’s toying with the cuff of her coat and he finds it so interesting how flustered she seems to be getting, unlike the last two times he saw her. “That’s a really great job,” she’s nodding her head a little too much and her bun starts to come loose. 

“I don’t know if I consider it saving lives really,” he shrugs. “I just do my job and get people to the people really save lives.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Scott,” she says softly, and he loves how his name sounds as it spills out over her lips. She places a gentle hand on his arm. “It’s really important work you do.” 

“Thanks. My older brothers are both firefighters and I always wanted to be like them… but also didn’t want to copy them,” he laughs. “So I found myself training to be an EMT.”

She’s smiling at him, her eyes never leaving his face the whole time he speaks, like she’s completely enraptured by what he has to say. “Seems like as good a way as any to choose a career,” she laughs. 

“I suppose so,” he can’t help but smile back at her, can’t help but hold her gaze. “How about you?” He nods to her outfit and shoulder bag. “On lunch? Headed into work?”

“Half day,” she says with a shrug, following his gaze to look at her own work bag. “And now I’m off until the second barring a crisis. I’m just stopping for coffee on my way home. I need the caffeine boost to make it the 20 minute drive,” she laughs a little. 

“Rough day?” he asks, he just means it to be an innocent question in order to continue their conversation, but she begins to look a little tense and bites at her lip. 

“No. Today was mostly paperwork, but, uh, it’s been a busy month I guess.” her voice is a little less open, a little sharper, though not unkind, just slipping into something a little more professional. “I work in social services and it’s always a bit tougher over the holidays.”

“Oh yeah,” he says, nodding. He can only imagine. “I bet that can be tough for sure.”

She simply nods and lets out a little, “Yeah.”

He’s still nodding and notes she seems unwilling to offer much more, which he respects. Social work has got to be a difficult position, but even barely knowing her he can see how right that field seems for her. Hopefully he’ll get to see her again one day and she’ll open up to him a bit more. For now though, he decides to drop it. He doesn’t want to stop talking to her though, so he decides to move the conversation in another direction. “Do you come here often?” he asks and then internally kicks himself for how much it ends up coming out sounding like a line. Tessa doesn’t seem to notice though. 

She’s nodding and relaxing once more. “I love the atmosphere here,” she says brightly, looking around at the comfortable seating and big windows. “And the coffee is really good. You?” 

“First time here,” he says with a smile, biting back his desire to tell her he thinks it might have been something a little like fate that brought him in so he could see her again. “It is really sweet.” The place has a very homey vibe, with recovered wood tables, bookshelves line one wall and a brick fireplace (an electric unit installed in an original fireplace) on another. “I just popped in to fuel up before heading to work.” 

“Well it seems like a very happy coincidence then,” she says. “I hope happy anyways.”

He’s about to say that it is a very happy coincidence indeed but then a throat is clearing from ahead of them. They both look up to find she is next in line and holding up the progression. Tessa flushes, looking a little embarrassed before stepping up to the counter. He doesn’t hear what she orders for herself but then she’s turning back to him. “Scott,” she says and he could listen to the way she says his name forever. “What were you going to get? It’s on me.”

Scott’s shaking his head, even as he walks up to the counter next to her. “I can’t let you do that, Tess.” 

“It’s really not a big deal,” she shrugs, toying with the long cuff of her coat again, before looking him right in the eye. “I want to, please.”

He wants to argue, to offer to pay for her drink instead, is even reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, but there is something about the earnestness in her voice that stops him. The way she’d said  _ please _ winning him over. “Just a large black coffee,” he says to the kid behind the counter. A boy with blue hair who can’t be more than 21. 

Tessa levels him with a glare. “Is that what you want to get? Or is it just that you don’t want to feel guilty about me paying?”

He finds the intensity of the look, how piercing her green eyes are, both terrifying and adorable. It’s cute how she scrunches her nose and shakes her head and he knows that the look is mostly in jest, but it’s terrifying because he also knows that he would never want to be on the wrong side of that glare if she were really truly upset. “No,” he tries to put on his most charming smile. “It’s what I would have gotten anyway. Nothing fancy for me, just need the coffee. I swear!” he puts his hands up in a mock surrender. 

She nods, seemingly satisfied. “Alright, so just the large black coffee and an almond milk cappuccino,” she says to the kid behind the counter as he hands her the debit machine. 

“No problem, Tessa,” the kid says with a big smile.

“Thanks, Raine,” she smiles at him kindly, before walking around the counter to wait for their drinks. He just knows she’s this kind and sweet to everyone she meets, makes everyone lucky enough to know her feel special. 

“You’ll have to let me return the favour sometime,” Scott says as they wait for their drinks. 

She’s shaking her head with a mildly exasperated smile. “No, you really don’t need to.” 

He sighs, willing himself to be slightly more direct this time. He really wants to see her again. “I know I don’t have to. But I want to. Tess, I would really like to buy you coffee. Another day, I would love to see you again for coffee.”

“Oh,” she says her lips curling into the ‘o’ shape and staying there for moment. “Oh… yeah… Okay. That would be nice, yeah,” she pauses. “Um, just a sec,” she says as she lifts her bag up to riffle through it quickly. She pulls out a pen and then looks around before spotting the napkins and removing one from the holder. She scribbles something down and then passes him the napkin. 

He takes it, careful not to crumple it, and when their fingers brush momentarily he thinks he feels her shiver slightly. On the napkin is simply the letter  _ T  _ and a ten digit phone number in her slanted handwriting. It only endears her to him more the fact that she wrote her number out for him, pen to paper (napkin). It seems more personal, something he can hang onto, so long as he doesn’t lose it before he gets it in his phone. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we’ve come to the end! 
> 
> I meant this to be a cute little holiday one shot of sorts, but clearly it took me much longer to work through than I originally anticipated. 
> 
> Thanks to E for giving this a read for me and thank you so much to everyone who has commented and left love for this little Fic!

Scott texted her less than an hour after she gave him her phone number. She had just arrived home and changed from her work clothes into leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. His text was sweet and simple.

_ Hey Tess, I just got to work and wanted to get your number in my phone before I lost it. Thanks again for the coffee. _

_ -Scott  _

She found herself smiling, feeling light and nearly giddy, as she busied herself rummaging through her fridge to put together something to eat. After assessing the contents of her fridge, that something ended up being a leftover turkey sandwich with avocado and spinach that all were at the point where if she didn’t use them today… well she won’t be using them at all. She sits at her kitchen island and took a few bites of her sandwich before attempting a reply. She stopped and started a few times, deleting and retyping, trying to come up with the best response. Something casual, sweet and simple like his message had been, but that conveyed that paying for his coffee and giving him her number was out of genuine interest in connecting further, not just kindness or politeness. But she also didn’t want to come off too strongly, worrying about seeming desperate. This, she thought, is why she doesn’t date. That and her job, her dedication to it leaving her very little time for much else. 

Eventually she settled on:  _ It was my pleasure, honestly. Good luck on your shift and I’ll look forward to the return coffee sometime in the new year :)  _

Then she put her phone away and tried to go about her day. She didn’t expect a return response right away, knew that he was working and that given the fact that the roads were a bit slick and it was New Years Eve she was aware that he would likely be kept very busy all night. Despite knowing this, she couldn’t help the pangs of disappointment anytime she glanced at her phone to find no responding notification from him. Logical Tessa understands, she knows when she’s caught up with work, even when she’s had a particularly stressful week, cases that have completely drained her, it can take days before she makes time to respond to messages from friends and family. 

She doesn’t hear from him for two days, which again she expected knowing a bit about emergency services schedules she figures it’s typical he’d be working a series of two or three 12 hour shifts before having a few days off. So, she’s thrown off balance a bit to find him calling her. She’s on her last day of her very brief vacation before heading back in to work when he calls her at two in the afternoon. She’s been trying hard to spend her few days off distancing herself from her work, giving herself the chance to decompress. She’s curled up on her couch with a blanket, basking in the sun streaming in from the big window in her living room — a bit like a cat — when her phone begins buzzing beside her. 

Her eyes widen in surprise when she registers that it’s Scott calling, not her mom or her sister or the need to go in for an emergency counseling session at work — family crisis waits for no one. 

“Hello,”she says, picking up the phone, her voice dry and cracking at the end. She hasn’t spoken out loud much all day, not needing to use her voice in the quiet of her home. She does a lot of listening and a lot of talking at work, she likes quiet at home— most days anyways, sometimes she wishes she had someone to distract her from the heaviness of her days. 

“Hi,” comes Scott’s voice from the speaker, it’s sounds so familiar to her that she knows she would have recognized it even if his name hadn’t been saved to her phone. It’s a strange thing to feel familiarity with someone she hardly knows, she thinks. “I hope I’m not bothering you.” 

“Oh no,” she rushes. “I was just reading. I’m really happy to hear from you.” She finds she means it. She is happy, exceptionally so, to hear from him. She hadn’t fully realized how much she’d been looking forward to it. 

“Oh good,” he says, and she can hear the sigh of relief in his voice. “That’s… uh, really good. I’m glad. I’m sorry it took a few days.” 

“You we’re working,” she replies, assuming. 

“Yeah… yeah. Actually I just woke up.” 

She smiles at that. That she was his first call after waking up. “I hope you had a good rest,” she says softly. She shifts a bit on the couch, her fingers tracing the seam in the arm rest, watching the little particles of dust swirl in the bright streams of sunlight reflecting off the light layer of snow outside and in through the window. 

“I did, I did… yeah,” he says, and she can hear his deep inhale echoing through the phone. “So, I was… uh, hoping to be able to repay you for that coffee.” 

“Scott, you don’t have to,” she smiles to herself. “I wanted to get it for you.” 

“I know,” he rushes through the speaker. “But I want to… I mean I want to take you for coffee, as a date. If you’d be okay with that.” 

Her grin nearly splits her face in two. She hasn’t felt this giddy since she was a teenager and her crush asked her to the school dance on MSN. Her heart rate picks up and her insides feel fluttery -- like her entire body is filled with the flapping wings of butterflies, all the way into her fingers and toes. “Of course, I’d really like that Scott.” 

So they arrange a date. An honest to god date. Something that Tessa hasn’t been on in a very long time. It’s exhilarating and a little nerve wracking. She’s only met Scott a few times, just three chance encounters. She knows woefully little about him and though she is clearly attracted to him she has no idea how she will feel once they actually have a chance to get to know one another. 

It just so happens that later that same day is the best time for both of them. So Tessa, still feeling light and fluttery, gets into the shower and gets herself ready to meet Scott at the same café they’d run into each other at a few days prior. After her shower she tries on a total of three pairs of pants and four tops, tossing all the lackluster options haphazardly on her bed to be dealt with later, before settling on a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a loose cable knit sweater. It feels comfortable and cozy for the weather — it’s been snowing on and off all day — it’s casual enough for the coffee shop atmosphere, but also something in style and hopefully cute. At the door she pulls on her knee high boots and checks her soft makeup in the hall mirror one last time before heading out into the snow. 

Scott’s not there when she arrives, so she settles herself into a cozy armchair by the windows, watching the snow fall in large, lazy flakes, wet and heavy onto the pavement. She didn’t order anything, knowing Scott had wanted it to be his treat. She felt awkward waiting without a drink but knew she’d feel worse if he came in and his face fell seeing her waiting with a coffee. 

She doesn’t wait long, he arrives barely five minutes after her, his hair damp with already melting snow, with water droplets cling to the ends that land over his forehead. She smiles at him as he runs a hand through his hair, pushing it off and away from his face. His answering smile when he spots her nearly stops her heart. His eyes are alight with happiness as he looks at her, his smile bright and a little crooked, showing off his teeth. He looks like a kid excited for Christmas and the look is just for her. The butterflies return, swarming through her body until her entire self feels tingly with the sensation.  _ There’s something special here _ , she thinks. She knows it isn’t logical, but she feels it anyways. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” he rushes, as he hurries over to the table she’s chosen for them. He’s already taking off his coat and tossing it over the back of the chair across from her. He looks genuinely distraught as he explains to her. “The roads are a little slippery so everything is moving slowly.” 

“Better safe than sorry,” she says with a little smile and a shrug. “I haven’t been waiting long anyways so it isn’t a big deal.” 

He looks so relieved and his bright smile returns again. “What can I get for you? You ordered a cappuccino or something last time didn’t you?”

“I did but maybe a latte this time? I think they make one with honey that’s supposed to be good? I could come up with you?” She offers, making to stand up. 

He shakes his head, his hair falling over his forehead again with the motion. “It’s alright,” he smiles at her. “You stay here and save our seats and I’ll be right back.” 

She sinks back into her chair, smiling and holding in a little laugh as she looks around the nearly vacant cafe as he walks away to the counter to order. She doesn’t want to seem rude so she resists the urge to pull out her phone to pass time, maybe to text her sister to let her know she is on an honest to goodness date. Instead she watches him as he talks animatedly with the barista, making the young girl laugh before she gets started on their drinks. She isn’t sure what he’s said, can’t hear him from her vantage point near the windows, but his smile and his laugh are infectious and she doesn’t want to look away. 

A few minutes later, once Scott has returned with their drinks, she finds herself immediately lost in conversation with him. She finds him easy to talk to. He listens intently and asks thoughtful questions and only adds comments when one is warranted. He is also so lively and animated and just downright happy when talking about his job and his family. And it’s more than a little endearing, the childlike enthusiasm he has while talking about how much he looks up to his big brothers and how much he loves spending time with his nieces and nephews. A half hour into their coffee, she feels like she can safely say she’s smitten. 

“So,” he says, taking a long sip of his coffee. “You’re a social worker? How did you get into that?” 

She laughs a little self consciously. She doesn’t talk about her work often, a lot of the time she can’t. At least not specifics, though she will rant or cry to her mom or sister after a difficult week. “I’m in social work, yeah. I’m actually a family crisis therapist. I did my undergrad in psychology and then during the summers I worked as a community support worker and got into it from there… went to do a Master’s of Social Work,” she pauses to think for a moment, looking down at her half finished coffee. “I could give a clichéd answer about helping people and that’s a big part of it, but I guess I don’t know… every who knows me says I’m really level. I stay calm and can think through difficult situation which I guess drew me to the counseling, being a grounding force for the families and kids I work with, but I’ve done case work as well.”

“Wow,” he says, she can hear the amazement in his voice. “That’s so great, what you do and you seem to really care about it.” 

He seems so genuinely interested and amazed by her and she can’t do much more than nod because she does care deeply about her job. “I do. Yeah. I mean it’s hard for sure but it’s definitely what I want to do. I wish my parents could have been as enthusiastic as you about it though,” she says.

“They didn’t approve?” 

She shakes her head. “My mom gets it now, I think. But I come from a family of lawyers and well… social work doesn’t come with a high earning potential and it is easy to burn out, I’ve seen it happen with colleagues,” she shrugs. “My dad wanted me to do something more ‘practical’, in his words.” 

She sees Scott shaking his head and can see him biting his lip to hold back any potentially unwanted comments. “I’m sorry,” is all he says, after a few moments. 

“Thanks,” she says in return. She wants to say it wasn’t a big deal, it’s what she normally would say, particularly to someone who she doesn’t know well, but she can find no reason to want to lie to Scott. It was a big deal when it happened and the occasions she sees her dad he still manages to make comments about how she could still go to law school if she wanted, or go be a  _ real  _ therapist with clients who pay. 

They are quiet for a few moments sipping the last, now cool dregs of their respective coffees, but she finds the silence between them isn’t uncomfortable. It’s just a natural lull in conversation, she looks out the window at the large flakes of snow falling onto the sidewalk, white and fluffy. 

“So,” she begins eventually. “How long have you been a paramedic?” 

He smiles a little sheepishly at her, starting to shred the sleeve of his paper cup. “It’s been about six years. Before that I was kind of all over the place… you know the guy who always did odd jobs.”

“And you like it?” She asks. 

“I really do, honestly. It makes me feel like I have purpose. I’ve always liked helping people.” 

She’s about to ask him something else to get him to open up more— she loves the way he talks about his life, how animated and full of passion he is — but her stomach growls and she’s reminded that it’s dinner time and she has had little to eat. She can feel the heat in her chest and cheeks, flushing with embarrassment because she knows he heard the loud rumble of her stomach. “Sorry,” she says looking down at her lap. “I should probably get going to figure out something for dinner.” 

He looks a bit regretful, but smiles. “I didn’t realize how late it had gotten,” he glances out the window to where the street lights have come on already, the snow still falling in the early twilight. “I didn’t mean to keep you so long.” 

She shakes her head, reaching for his hand she says, “No, it was great. I really enjoyed spending time with you, Scott.” 

“Me too, Tess,” he takes her hand in his and squeezes it gently. “Let me walk you to your car?” 

She nods and together they bundle back up in their coats and scarves. He holds the door open for her and walks close enough for her to feel the heat of him next to her, but not quite close enough to be touching. She’s walking slowly, taking her time being next to him as they continue to chat while they walk. She doesn’t want to leave him yet, but she knows she needs to eat. She isn’t sure it would be appropriate to ask if they extended their date to dinner. It’s been so long that she doesn’t really know dating etiquette anymore. Maybe, she thinks, it’s better anyways, to end the night now on a good note and pick back up another day. She hopes they will anyways. Hopes this will be the first of many dates. 

They’re halfway to her car when he stops. “You don’t have anything planned for dinner do you? Something at home that needs to be cooked?” 

She shakes her head. “No, I was just going to order take-out or pick something up on the way home.”

“Have dinner with me,” he says. “I had such a great time getting to know you and I really… I don’t want it to end. I know a pub just a few blocks from here that’s really great.” 

“Yeah,” she smiles. “I’d really love that.”

This time he takes her hand in his before they start walking and it feels like her future is slotting into place. She doesn’t know how else to describe it but she knows this is the beginning of something meaningful. 


End file.
